International School in The Bahamas Adopts Vegan Menu

As part of the school's Obesity Prevention Pilot Program, students are encouraged to eat plant-based meals to attain optimum health.

The Akhepran International Academy, located in The Bahamas, recently launched its Obesity Prevention Pilot Program. As part of the program, the school’s cafeteria will now offer vegan food as its main option. School principal Jacinta Higgs is on a mission to lose 50 pounds by the end of the year and asked students to support her journey by partaking in plant-based eating. “If you don’t give me the meat,” Higgs told national news outlet The Bahama Journal, “but you give me the vegan hamburger and you season that well, I am telling you, I will eat that. It would not stay in me for five and six months. I will begin to lose the weight and be healthy and harmonize my body with more of the plant-based menus.” The academy’s choice to push plant-based food is supported by local senator Fred Mitchell and parliament member Shonel Ferguson, who said, “This is a powerful first step that I envision becoming a thousand steps and that it will spread to the other schools.” Last month, German International School—located in Palavakkam, India—decided to remove all animal products from its menu to reflect its morals.